Author Topic: What animes/series are you watching right now?  (Read 305211 times)

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Offline Colonol Dekker

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
Finished Iron Blooded Orphans., took me a while due to actual real life son and wife.   Firstly, I saw the Orga arc end coming a mile off and the rest of it felt a bit cobbled.   The whole atra mika blondie triangle is just weiiiiiiird.
« Last Edit: March 22, 2018, 03:17:16 pm by Colonol Dekker »
Campaigns I've added my distinctiveness to-
- Blue Planet: Battle Captains
-Battle of Neptune
-Between the Ashes 2
-Blue planet: Age of Aquarius
-FOTG?
-Inferno R1
-Ribos: The aftermath / -Retreat from Deneb
-Sol: A History
-TBP EACW teaser
-Earth Brakiri war
-TBP Fortune Hunters (I think?)
-TBP Relic
-Trancsend (Possibly?)
-Uncharted Territory
-Vassagos Dirge
-War Machine
(Others lost to the mists of time and no discernible audit trail)

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Secret bomb God.
That one time I got permabanned and got to read who was being bitxhy about me :p....
GO GO DEKKER RANGERSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
I didn't see the Orga arc coming. Also yes, the love triangle is... strange. Really straaannnggeee.

I also kinda liked it more when the Mobile Suits loadouts were much more ramshackle in Season 1. Like how the Barbatos would use enemy equipment.

 

Offline Colonol Dekker

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
I wanted astaroth origin to show up.
Campaigns I've added my distinctiveness to-
- Blue Planet: Battle Captains
-Battle of Neptune
-Between the Ashes 2
-Blue planet: Age of Aquarius
-FOTG?
-Inferno R1
-Ribos: The aftermath / -Retreat from Deneb
-Sol: A History
-TBP EACW teaser
-Earth Brakiri war
-TBP Fortune Hunters (I think?)
-TBP Relic
-Trancsend (Possibly?)
-Uncharted Territory
-Vassagos Dirge
-War Machine
(Others lost to the mists of time and no discernible audit trail)

Your friendly Orestes tactical controller.

Secret bomb God.
That one time I got permabanned and got to read who was being bitxhy about me :p....
GO GO DEKKER RANGERSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
President of the Scooby Doo Model Appreciation Society
The only good Zod is a dead Zod
NEWGROUNDS COMEDY GOLD, UPDATED DAILY
http://badges.steamprofile.com/profile/default/steam/76561198011784807.png

 

Offline Novachen

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
Watched the 2004' Appleseed movie yesterday.

A few weeks ago, we watched the 1988 one... that was a very boring movie with a 0815 terrorist story and without any serious questions. But this 2004 was actually a quite good action sci-fi movie :).
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Offline Det. Bullock

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
So, carrying on with my modern cartoon spree in the last couple of weeks I have been watching Star vs The Forces of Evil
It’s kind of funny that of the three modern cartoon series I have watched recently the one that feels more “Disney” is from Cartoon Network (Star and Gravity Falls are both from Disney).
Star has a bit of a dreamworks/shrek vibe early on with all that comically invincible princess prone to ridiculous collateral damage paired with and OCD kid that would like to pass as a “bad boy” and fails utterly at it, but half-way through the first season (it seems to be a pattern with these cartoons) it starts to gradually become more serious and more straight fantasy with a third season (still running) that basically drops all the “fish out of water” stuff entirely for the protagonist and relegates it to the sidekick.
It’s also interesting that instead of killing off the initial joke villain (like in Star Wars Rebels) they somewhat make him into a sort of tragic figure.
There is also a very “does this remind you of anything” thing going on with the lore of the fantasy world in question, in one episode in particular the paralles are really obvious.
And yes, I started following it also because the opening theme is a goddamn earworm and couldn’t get it out of my head since I dared click on that youtube link of TVtropes.

PS: I also discovered that for some reason Star has second billing in the Italian title of the show, while I usually expect random censorship or toning down of stuf in basically any cartoon here this downplaying of the female lead is something I don’t remember ever happening here, especially considering that there isn’t really the same “Disney is for girls” attitude of the US and UK here.
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Offline Novachen

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
Yesterday we have watched Appleseed: Ex Machina.

Actually, i liked the Cell-Shading/CGI combination of Appleseed much more, than this pure CGI-event, even this movie has a more consistent style.

But apart from that, this movie fell short to its predecessor. I do not like Ex Machina's soundtrack as i liked Appleseed's. Also the story in this one was much weaker... hell it was more or less about Zombies.
"Captain Proton vs. The RoboZombies" could not even worse than this  ;)

Actually, we were not even sure, if this movie is really a follow-up to the first one, because the german wikipedia page writes about a 26-episode long Appleseed anime that was released in 2006 and so before this movie... but i never find anything about that. But now i am sure, that they mean Applessed Genesis, because that planned with 26 episodes... even i do not have a clue, why they talk about 2006, because this one was announced only after Ex Machina... and was cancelled in the end. It is rare to find such long existing errors on wikipedia today.


The next one should be Appleseed XIII then, a real anime series... i think we will try to watch it in the next couple of weeks.
Female FreeSpace 2 pilot since 1999.
Former Global moderator in the German FreeSpace Galaxy Forum.
Developer of NTP - A Multi-Language Translation Library Interface, which allows to play FreeSpace in YOUR Language.

Is one of my releases broken or not working? Please send a PM here, on Discord at @novachen or on Twitter @NovachenFS2, a public tweet or write a reply in my own release threads here on HLP, because these are the only threads i am still participating in.

 

Offline Firesteel

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
With this season almost over, if anyone's still curious about shows here's my recommendations:

Yuru Camp (really nice, comfy slice of life. Fun art style, good direction, smexy backgrounds)

Violet Evergarden (probably the highest quality animation of the season, good if not totally new story lines, lots of feels)

Sora yori mo Tooi Basho/Antarctica show (slice of life-ish with some fun character designs, nice animation, some surprisingly good character writing)

Magus Bride (fantasy romance with some nice art and animation)

Garo Vanishing Line (urban fantasy with VR stuff, metal AF, dumps tons into character designs even when the characters are only there for one episode)
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Offline Enioch

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
I know what I will be watching.

'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

So don't take a hammer to your computer. ;-)

 

Offline Luis Dias

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
It's incredible that with that much of CGI firepower and 21st century technique, they are utterly unable to produce anything worthwhile to watch. That is awful to look at. I'd rather watch the original in a rotten VHS tape instead.

 

Offline Enioch

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
Based on the trailer, I have no objection to the aesthetics of the remake.

There are, of course, several other reasons why I would eventually end up choosing the original over the remake (including writing, voice acting, etc), but I reserve my judgement until I actually see the first few episodes.
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

So don't take a hammer to your computer. ;-)

 

Offline The E

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
I know what I will be watching.



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Offline Luis Dias

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
Mark my words, it's a failure, a DOA. I can't understand how the hell you find that aesthetically pleasing, but I guess things like taste aren't totally debatable...

 

Offline Enioch

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
Mark my words, it's a failure, a DOA. I can't understand how the hell you find that aesthetically pleasing, but I guess things like taste aren't totally debatable...

OK, I've marked your words. I can't understand how the hell you would declare a series DOA simply by its aesthetics, but I guess our priorities in what we want out of our weaboo entertainment are not aligned. *Shrug*

Violet Evergarden (probably the highest quality animation of the season, good if not totally new story lines, lots of feels)

Seconded. It's been a while since I enjoyed an anime this much.

Quote
Magus Bride (fantasy romance with some nice art and animation)

This anime confuses me. I like it, for the themes it brings forward; I completely despise it for the reactions I see among its audience.

For those who have no idea what it is about: it involves an Eldrich Abomination / Fairy buying an underage Japanese girl from an underworld slave auction and grooming her to be its apprentice in witchcraft and eventually its bride. Yes, it is eventually shown that she is a fey herself and that the Magus' interest in her was largely because of that (early on, the Magus seems to lack any actual understanding of sexuality, thinking of her more as a 'pet'), but the squick factor remains.

The girl is completely and utterly damaged, from her previous experiences with the supernatural and from the abusive family she was living with before. She was outright suicidal before selling herself off. And I appreciate the themes of belonging, and bewilderment, and discovery that the anime discusses. And I very much appreciate the fact that the relationship between her and the Magus is not presented as something outright healthy and shojo-sparkly, but as something complicated, confusing, abusive (to some extent) and multi-faceted, with the not-quite-human factor of the beings involved giving an interesting spin to the whole affair. There is a distinct dark undertone of Stockholm Syndrome throughout, as the characters grow closer and become interdependent, and I think these topics are handled in a respectful fashion, never exactly being presented as 'OK' or 'healthy'.

What utterly triggers me are the comments in e.g. Crunchyroll along the lines of 'eeeeeee, aren't they cute' or 'isn't this romantic' or 'OMG I ship them so hard' or 'oh, isn't the scene where he tears her clothes off and washes her against her will funny?'

NO. It isn't. The fact that the scene is rendered in chibi style does not make it funny, nor does it mean that it's supposed to be read as such.

Think of what you just saw, people. Still an underage girl, bought and sold.
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

So don't take a hammer to your computer. ;-)

 

Offline Luis Dias

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
Anyone who saw what happened to Berserk knows the **** I'm talking about. Unless you actually think that remake is something enjoyable *shudders*

 

Offline Enioch

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
I'll grant you Berserk. That abomination was the uncanny valley made manifest.

That said, Berserk lives and dies on its aesthetics. LOTGH lives and dies on its plot and characters.
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

So don't take a hammer to your computer. ;-)

 

Offline Mongoose

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
At least from a visual standpoint I'm fully in Luis's camp.  Those character designs are atrocious (who the hell makes Schenkopf a goddamn bishie), and the CGI looks cheap. At the end of the day the whole thing feels completely unnecessary. The original OVA series was one of the most ambitious achievements in animation history...what could a new adaptation possibly bring to the table?

 

Offline Turambar

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
I wasn't going to watch the new Galactic Heroes because the ships look awful, i have no faith that modern anime can stick with a story as complex and slow-paced as LOGH, and they downgraded everyone's chin.
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Offline Firesteel

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
Magus Bride (fantasy romance with some nice art and animation)

This anime confuses me. I like it, for the themes it brings forward; I completely despise it for the reactions I see among its audience.

For those who have no idea what it is about: it involves an Eldrich Abomination / Fairy buying an underage Japanese girl from an underworld slave auction and grooming her to be its apprentice in witchcraft and eventually its bride. Yes, it is eventually shown that she is a fey herself and that the Magus' interest in her was largely because of that (early on, the Magus seems to lack any actual understanding of sexuality, thinking of her more as a 'pet'), but the squick factor remains.

The girl is completely and utterly damaged, from her previous experiences with the supernatural and from the abusive family she was living with before. She was outright suicidal before selling herself off. And I appreciate the themes of belonging, and bewilderment, and discovery that the anime discusses. And I very much appreciate the fact that the relationship between her and the Magus is not presented as something outright healthy and shojo-sparkly, but as something complicated, confusing, abusive (to some extent) and multi-faceted, with the not-quite-human factor of the beings involved giving an interesting spin to the whole affair. There is a distinct dark undertone of Stockholm Syndrome throughout, as the characters grow closer and become interdependent, and I think these topics are handled in a respectful fashion, never exactly being presented as 'OK' or 'healthy'.

What utterly triggers me are the comments in e.g. Crunchyroll along the lines of 'eeeeeee, aren't they cute' or 'isn't this romantic' or 'OMG I ship them so hard' or 'oh, isn't the scene where he tears her clothes off and washes her against her will funny?'

NO. It isn't. The fact that the scene is rendered in chibi style does not make it funny, nor does it mean that it's supposed to be read as such.

Think of what you just saw, people. Still an underage girl, bought and sold.

One of my lab mates calls Magus Bride "Problematic Skull Husband" and I think it's a pretty apt description, especially with the way the show's wrapping up (haven't watched the finale). I think the show does a better job with its subject material than the comments would suggest but yeah, it's definitely a show with some problematic elements. I think Chise's (MC) character is strong enough for me to be okay with the more problematic stuff but your mileage may vary.
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Offline Enioch

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?
*snip*

One of my lab mates calls Magus Bride "Problematic Skull Husband" and I think it's a pretty apt description, especially with the way the show's wrapping up (haven't watched the finale). I think the show does a better job with its subject material than the comments would suggest but yeah, it's definitely a show with some problematic elements. I think Chise's (MC) character is strong enough for me to be okay with the more problematic stuff but your mileage may vary.

It's not the show itself that triggers me. Like I said, I love how it explores the themes that it has chosen to explore, and the setting and animation are glorious (not as good as Violet Evergarden, imo, but still a highpoint for this year). It's the reaction of the audience that makes me lose faith in bloody humanity. It's the Beauty and the Beast syndrome in full force.

If the audience were appreciative of how the relationship develops, of how the MC learns, grows and steadily re-discovers herself, leaving her suicidal past behind her and finding the strength to draw lines in this strange relationship she has found herself in? If they discussed how the utter man-(fey)child of Elias learns to see Chise as something more than a magic battery or a pet, and learns to respect her as an actual equal in the relationship? Then sure, I'd cheer along.

But all I see is (EDIT: OK, that was an exaggeration) an audience that selects the most cringeworthy, unhealthy points of the relationship, the very points that stress the unbalanced nature of it, and glorifies them as 'cute' and 'romantic' and I want to scream. I am not comparing this anime to Twilight, but I am bloody well getting Twilight flashbacks from some of its fans and it upsets me.

Possibly more than it should, but that's me.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2018, 09:04:43 am by Enioch »
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

So don't take a hammer to your computer. ;-)

 

Offline Firesteel

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Re: What animes/series are you watching right now?

It's not the show itself that triggers me. Like I said, I love how it explores the themes that it has chosen to explore, and the setting and animation are glorious (not as good as Violet Evergarden, imo, but still a highpoint for this year). It's the reaction of the audience that makes me lose faith in bloody humanity. It's the Beauty and the Beast syndrome in full force.

If the audience were appreciative of how the relationship develops, of how the MC learns, grows and steadily re-discovers herself, leaving her suicidal past behind her and finding the strength to draw lines in this strange relationship she has found herself in? If they discussed how the utter man-(fey)child of Elias learns to see Chise as something more than a magic battery or a pet, and learns to respect her as an actual equal in the relationship? Then sure, I'd cheer along.

But all I see is (EDIT: OK, that was an exaggeration) an audience that selects the most cringeworthy, unhealthy points of the relationship, the very points that stress the unbalanced nature of it, and glorifies them as 'cute' and 'romantic' and I want to scream. I am not comparing this anime to Twilight, but I am bloody well getting Twilight flashbacks from some of its fans and it upsets me.

Possibly more than it should, but that's me.

Yeah I get that. I pretty much avoid anime discussion outside of this thread and people I know in person so I haven't seen pretty much any of what you're talking about though knowing fan culture, it's the least surprising thing I've heard in a while.

I watched the finale last night and I still like the way Chise and Elias's relationship changes but I felt the overall ending fell a little flat compared to some of the side story conclusions.

And yeah, it isn't as impressive as Violet Evergarden's animation (few things are at this point) though as I compared it to Garo (same airing cycle) and even Sora yori, made me realize how much more those shows put into their pure dialogue scenes than Magus Bride usually did.
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